Social Constructions

Our class discussion this week on the origins of inequality was intriguing, as it is an issue frequently visited in my American Studies courses. Certain societal views including those on class and gender, are social constructions created by humans. The standards and expectations that result from one’s class or gender are not unchangeable laws of nature, as some have thought them to be throughout the course of history.

In the Origins of Inequality article, the author describes property ownership as “fundamentally unnatural”. Distinctions between different classes and genders are often created by the stronger unit in to reinforce its superiority, providing validation for its position of power. In American Studies, the “definer” is the party who has the power to create their own identity and to determine what defines another. Jeanne Michaud laments on the status her family has been assigned as the “defined” as a result of their economic resources when she contends, “We’re always the ones who are trampled… We’re just the sheep to slaughter”. Those of lower economic status are thought to be bound to this class because they are thought to be inferior and weak. They are defined by stereotypes assigned to their class. While society widely views their situation as unfortunate, we as the readers are provided the opportunity to gain insights into the quality of the Michaud’s tight knit relationship. This relationship is far more substantial and real than that of the well-off Pericands.

Class and gender distinctions are scapegoats for those trying maintain their power and keep others from challenging their role as definer. The history of the existence of these constructions is the only reason why people still hold them to be viable and true, when in reality they have no natural basis. This is proven by the Michauds, who despite their definition have more fulfilling lives than those definers.